Heisler Live Steam
5. Finally, add fuel. Your Heisler burns
butane gas. The gas tank is located in
the rear bunker beneath the rear deck.
Remove the rear coal tank by pulling
up. Butane gas can be purchased at
the grocery store or at a tobacconist’s
as cigarette-lighter refills. These come
with a nipple suitable for the filler valve
on the Heisler’s gas tank. (Butane can
also be purchased in larger containers
at camping-supply stores, but these
cans will require a special adapter for
filling the engine’s tank.) Simply press
the nozzle of the butane canister hard
onto the filler valve atop the tank,
making sure that the control valve is
closed. You will hear the gas transfer-
ring and will see a little gas bleeding
out of the valve. When the tank is full,
the gas will begin to splutter and much
more gas will escape the valve. When
the gas tank is full you are ready to fire
up the engine. Add 1” to 2” of water to
the rear tank. This will keep the tank
warm and the gas pressure up!
Firing up
Make sure the throttle is closed. The
engine’s burner resides at the back
of the flue inside the boiler. Open the
hinged smokebox door at the front of
the engine and you’ll be able to see
the flue. To light up, strike a match
and hold it at the open smokebox door
while simultaneously opening the gas
valve in the tender very slowly until the
gas ignites. You should hear the gas
coming into the burner. Opening the
valve too wide or too fast may blow
out the flame or cause the fire to burn
in the smokebox.
The fire should flash back into the
back of the flue with a quiet “pop”. If
it wants to burn in the smokebox or
in the forward part of the flue, slowly
close the gas valve until it flashes
back to the burner. Don’t let the fire
burn in the smokebox - your engine
will not run as it should and may be
damaged. The fire should burn un
-
der the burner in a crescent-shaped
flame, which should be clearly visible
through the smokebox door. The flame
should be bright blue and should burn
steadily. If it sputters or looks yellow
or green, adjust the gas valve accord-
ingly. The object is to run the burner at
the lowest setting possible to operate
the engine, thereby increasing the ef-
ficiency of the engine and the duration
of the run. You’ll get the hang of this
with practice.
After another four or five minutes,
pressure on the pressure gauge
should read about 20psi (pounds per
square inch) or so. The safety valve
is set at 60psi. When the pressure on
the gauge reaches 40psi, the engine
can be run.
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